• 10/16 Focus– The Mauryas and Guptas created

powerful empires that united most of India

• Do Now–What did the Buddha say was to reach

Nirvana?

The Maurya Empire

• India was hard to unite because of diverse geography

• May rival kingdoms existed across the northern plains

• Chandragupta Maurya – Used his army to

conquer northern India– United N. India under his

rule• Maurya Empire

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Maurya Empire

• Had a well-organized government– Strong central government– Collected taxes– Built roads and harbors to increase

trade• Chandragupta crushed any

opposition to his rule– Feared assassination by his enemies– Secret police to report on dissention

in his empire

Maurya Empire

• Ashoka (asoka)– Grandson of

Chandragupta– Becomes emperor – Converts to Buddhism

after bloody battle to conquer the Deccan Plateau• Horrified by the

brutality of war• Stops attempts to

expand the empire

Maurya Empire• Asoka’s rule

– Rejects violence– Sets up pillars inscribed

with the empire’s laws• Influenced by Buddhist

teaching– Tolerant of other beliefs– Built Buddhist Stupas– Sent Buddhist

missionaries out to spread faith

• Effects– India was united– Peace and prosperity– Spread of Buddhism

Maurya Decline

• Empire began to decline after the death of Asoka

• Empire divided into separate kingdoms

Gupta Empire• Gupta dynasty begins in

320 AD• United the subcontinent

under their rule• Strong central government

– Allowed for local governments to have power• local leaders to be elected

by merchants and artisans• Villages were led by

headman and councils• Promoted Hindu concepts

but were tolerant of other beliefs

• Peace and prosperity led to India’s Golden Age

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Gupta Advances

• Astronomy– Identified planets– Earth’s revolution– Circumference of the Earth

• Math – Concept of zero– The decimal system

• Medicine– Vaccinations against small pox– Surgeons set broken bones and

performed basic plastic surgery – C-sections

Gupta Advances• Extensive trade networks

Gupta Advances• Arts

– Literature and poetry– Use of Sanskrit to

write stories– Buddhist cave

paintings at Ajanta

• Architecture– Built large Hindu

temples– Buddhist stuppas

• Influenced construction of pagodas in China

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Gupta Decline

• Empire lasted for 200 years

• Reasons for decline– Invasions by

Nomadic Huns from central Asia

– Weak rulers

Know the following for the Quiz

• What are two similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism?

• What is one difference between Hinduism and Buddhism?

• What is the purpose of living by the eightfold path?

• What is the ultimate purpose of Hinduism?• Explain the Indian caste system and the

way that people can move up or down castes after death

Closure

• How did the Gupta rule their empire?

• Why was the period of Gupta rule known as the golden age of India?

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